Curious About Getting Ready For Hurricane Irene

What things should we purchase (without going overboard) before a big storm... and why? For instance: Why do we buy bottled water? When my power goes out I still get water out of my faucet.   - Thomas, Lunenberg

Even though, as of this writing (Thursday), we don't know exactly what Hurricane Irene has in store for us, it always pays to be prepared.  The "why" is pretty straightforward.....just in case.   And given that this is New England, it's not a bad idea to have water, canned food, batteries, a first aid kit, etc. on hand anyway.

We've put together some ideas for being prepared for a significant storm.  You can find that right here.

The Red Cross has some good information about being prepared including what you should have on hand....just in case.  Find that here.

WBZ-TV Meteorologist Joe Joyce explains:

And right here you can learn what to do during a hurricane to stay safe.

As for Thomas' question about why it's a good idea to have some bottled water on hand....that's because during and after a storm faucet water could be contaminated.

As for staying informed about the track of the storm, our meteorologists Todd Gutner, Barry Burbank, Melissa Mack, Joe Joyce and Terry Eliasen will keep you posted on Channel 4 and here on the web.

It's still early, but are you planning to do anything as Hurricane Irene heads this way?